Death toll from Iran's port blast reaches 65

Tehran, April 28 The death toll from a huge blast and the subsequent fire at Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan on Saturday has reached 65, with more than 1,200 others injured, media reported on Monday, citing the provincial governor.

The fire has been completely contained, while the rescue and relief operations were still ongoing, Mohammad Ashouri Taziani told semi-official Mehr news agency.

Earlier on Monday, Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni identified "certain negligence" as one of the reasons behind the deadly explosion in the provincial capital Bandar Abbas, where this port, the country's largest maritime hub, is located.

He made the remarks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV, elaborating on the ongoing investigations to determine the cause of the incident.

Momeni said that during an earlier meeting held in Bandar Abbas to discuss the explosion's cause, several individuals whose negligence had been confirmed were summoned.

He noted that a failure to observe safety regulations and passive defence measures properly contributed to the disaster, urging the relevant authorities and investigative committee to accelerate efforts to determine the full cause accurately.

"Shortcomings in regards to not respecting security protocols have been identified and some of the individuals at fault have been summoned," Momeni said, according to state media.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday ordered an investigation to "uncover any negligence or intent" behind the incident, an indication that authorities are not ruling out sabotage.

The incident occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the US in Oman, but there was no indication of a link between the two events.

Iran's Infrastructure Communications Company said on Monday that a large cyber attack against the country's infrastructure had been repelled a day after the blast, without providing more detail.

Poor storage of chemicals in containers is suspected of having caused the explosion.

A spokesperson for the crisis management organisation said on Saturday that earlier warnings had highlighted potential safety risks at the port.

Iran's Defence Ministry dismissed on Sunday international media reports suggesting the blast may be linked to the mishandling of solid fuel used for missiles.

Following the deadly blast, Hossein Sajedinia, head of Iran's National Disaster Management Organisation, told the IRIB on Sunday that some of the containers at the port contained flammable materials, such as pitch, and some others carried chemicals.

Despite the incident, the port's wharfs have resumed operations and cargo handling, according to the official news agency IRNA.

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